When the vet of Cattail Dairy Farms, Dr. Glenn Johnson, first approached the Holig family about becoming the first-ever Food Armor certified farm, they had no idea they would gain so much. 

Being aware of some of the major risks that can result from overcrowding heifers is essential to managing them effectively. Implementing mitigation strategies early on can help prevent the situation from taking a negative toll that will ripple into future lactations.

Many of the causes of stray voltage on-farm can be figured out and solved, says Dr. Paul Dettloff of Arcadia, Wisconsin. He says 75 percent of the time, on-farm solutions can be found rather than pursuing lengthy and costly lawsuits. He has observed and studied stray voltage (DC current) over the past five decades.

It is well-known digital dermatitis is the most widespread infectious disease causing lameness in our herds. The infection sets in as a result of weakening of the skin, an injury for example. The main agent responsible for digital dermatitis appears to have been isolated: Treponema SP.

Getting the proper amount of energy into high-producing dairy cows during the first six to eight weeks postpartum can be very difficult. Slug feeding large amounts of grain or molasses at one time can cause a cow to contract acidosis or fatty liver at a time when she should be most productively lactating.

Medical waste removal costs livestock producers and veterinarians thousands of dollars every year. Due to the monopoly in the medical waste removal industry, prices are increasing considerably and regularly, says veterinarian Karen Seibold.

Changes in dairy herd management, primarily herd expansion, have turned mycoplasma mastitis into an emerging disease. The U.S. National Animal Health Monitoring Service conducted a recent survey, which estimated during any single year, 20 percent of 500-plus-cow herds in the U.S. will have a positive mycoplasma mastitis bulk tank.

When hoof health records showed digital dermatitis (DD) was out of control at a Minnesota dairy, the owners installed automatic scrapers to keep alleyways and hooves cleaner. In addition, they now modify footbath protocols when reports indicate DD is escalating.

There is “tremendous marginal value in getting cows to eat more,” Albert De Vries, department of animal sciences, University of Florida, said during the 2017 Cornell Cow Comfort Conference, hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension North Country Regional Ag Team.

Dr. Gordie Jones, an independent dairy performance consultant and partner in Central Sands Dairy in Wisconsin, is a recognized expert in freestall facility design. Ironically, he began his career as a fierce supporter of tiestall facilities, believing freestalls were detrimental to cow comfort and health.